Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole.
Work Environment: Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work with probationers and parolees. Workers may be assigned to fieldwork in high-crime areas or in institutions. As a result, the work can be stressful and dangerous.
How to Become One: Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists usually need a bachelor’s degree. In addition, most employers require candidates to pass oral, written, and psychological exams.
Salary: The median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is $60,250.
Job Outlook: Employment of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is projected to show little or no change over the next ten years.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Probation Officer Jobs
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Travel Social Work - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - $2,713 per week
- UW Medical Center
- Seattle, WA
As a Social Worker, you will work closely with healthcare professionals, school counselors, and/or probation officers to communicate the patient's needs and progress. Social Workers should be patient ...
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Travel Social Work - Licensed Clinical Social Worker - $2,713 per week
- Solomon Page
- Seattle, WA
As a Social Worker, you will work closely with healthcare professionals, school counselors, and/or probation officers to communicate the patient's needs and progress. Social Workers should be patient ...
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Physician Psychiatric-Mental Health - Make up to $309,698/annually
- Korn Ferry
- Los Angeles, CA
Patients are brought in by family, friends, police, probation officers and mobile emergency assessment teams, and by ambulance from several community agencies and hospitals. Most of those seen by ...
What Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists Do[About this section] [To Top]
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists provide social services to assist in rehabilitation of law offenders in custody or on probation or parole.
Duties of Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists typically do the following:
- Interview with probationers and parolees, their friends, and their relatives in an office or at a residence to assess progress
- Evaluate probationers and parolees to determine the best course of rehabilitation
- Provide probationers and parolees with resources, such as job training
- Test offenders for drugs and offer substance abuse counseling
- Complete prehearing investigations and testify in court regarding offender's backgrounds
- Write reports and maintain case files on offenders
The following are examples of types of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists:
Probation officers, who are sometimes referred to as community supervision officers, supervise people who have been placed on probation instead of sent to prison. They work to ensure that the probationer is not a danger to the community and to help in their rehabilitation through frequent visits with the probationer. Probation officers write reports that detail each probationer's treatment plan and their progress since being put on probation. Most work exclusively with either adults or juveniles.
Parole officers work with people who have been released from prison and are serving parole, helping them re-enter society. Parole officers monitor post-release parolees and provide them with information on various resources, such as substance abuse counseling or job training, to aid in their rehabilitation. By doing so, the officers try to change the parolee's behavior and thus reduce the risk of that person committing another crime and having to return to prison.
Both probation and parole officers supervise probationers and parolees through personal contact with them and their families (also known as community supervision). Probation and parole officers require regularly scheduled contact with parolees and probationers by telephone or through office visits, and they also check on them at their homes or places of work. When making home visits, probation and parole officers take into account the safety of the neighborhood in which the probationers and parolees live and any mental health considerations that may be pertinent. Probation and parole officers also oversee drug testing and electronic monitoring of those under supervision. In some states, workers perform the duties of both probation and parole officers.
Pretrial services officers investigate a pretrial defendant's background to determine if the defendant can be safely allowed back into the community before his or her trial date. Officers must assess the risk and make a recommendation to a judge, who decides on the appropriate sentencing (in settled cases with no trial) or bond amount. When pretrial defendants are allowed back into the community, pretrial officers supervise them to make sure that they stay within the terms of their release and appear at their trials.
Correctional treatment specialists, also known as case managers or correctional counselors, advise probationers and parolees and develop rehabilitation plans for them to follow. They may evaluate inmates using questionnaires and psychological tests. They also work with inmates, parole officers, and staff of other agencies to develop parole and release plans. For example, they may plan education and training programs to improve probationers' job skills.
Correctional treatment specialists write case reports that cover the inmate's history and the likelihood that he or she will commit another crime. When inmates are eligible for release, the case reports are given to the appropriate parole board. The specialist may help set up counseling for the parolees and their families, find substance abuse or mental health treatment options, aid in job placement, and find housing. Correctional treatment specialists also explain the terms and conditions of the prisoner's release and keep detailed written accounts of each parolee's progress.
The number of cases a probation officer or correctional treatment specialist handles at one time depends on the needs of individuals under supervision and the risks associated with each individual. Higher risk probationers usually command more of an officer's time and resources. Caseload size also varies by agency.
Improved tests for drug screening and electronic devices to monitor clients help probation officers and correctional treatment specialists supervise and counsel probationers.
Work Environment for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists[About this section] [To Top]
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists hold about 94,500 jobs. The largest employers of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists are as follows:
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 52% |
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | 45% |
| Social assistance | 1% |
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists work with probationers and parolees. While supervising individuals, they may interact with others, such as family members and friends of their clients, who may be upset or difficult to work with. Workers may be assigned to fieldwork in high-crime areas or in institutions where there is a risk of violence.
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists may have court deadlines imposed by the statute of limitations. In addition, many officers travel to perform home and employment checks and property searches. Because of the hostile environments they may encounter, some may carry a firearm or pepper spray for protection.
All of these factors, in addition to the challenge some officers experience in dealing with probationers and parolees who violate the terms of their release, can contribute to a stressful work environment. Although the high stress levels can make the job difficult at times, this work can also be rewarding. Many officers and specialists receive personal satisfaction from counseling members of their community and helping them become productive citizens.
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist Work Schedules
Although many officers and specialists work full time, the demands of the job sometimes lead to working overtime and variable hours. For example, many agencies rotate an on-call officer position. When these workers are on-call, they must respond to any issues with probationers, parolees, or law enforcement 24 hours a day.
Extensive travel and paperwork can also contribute to more hours of work.
How to Become a Probation Officer or Correctional Treatment Specialist[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists near you!
Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists usually need a bachelor's degree. In addition, most employers require candidates to pass competency exams, drug testing, and a criminal background check.
A valid driver's license is often required, and most agencies require applicants to be at least 21 years old.
Education for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
A bachelor's degree in social work, criminal justice, behavioral sciences, or a related field is usually required. Requirements vary by jurisdiction.
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist Training
Most probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must complete a training program sponsored by their state government or the federal government, after which they may have to pass a certification test. In addition, they may be required to work as trainees for up to 1 year before being offered a permanent position.
Some probation officers and correctional treatment specialists specialize in a certain type of casework. For example, an officer may work only with domestic violence probationers or deal only with substance abuse cases. Some may work only cases involving juvenile offenders. Officers receive the appropriate specific training so that they are better prepared to help that type of probationer.
Other Experience for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Although job requirements vary, work experience obtained by way of internships in courthouses or with probationers in the criminal justice field can be helpful for some positions.
Advancement for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Advancement to supervisory positions is primarily based on experience and performance. A master's degree in criminal justice, social work, or psychology may be required for advancement.
Important Qualities for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Communication skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to effectively interact with probationers, probationers' family members, lawyers, judges, treatment providers, and law enforcement.
Critical-thinking skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must be able to assess the needs of individual probationers before determining the best resources for helping them.
Decisionmaking skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists must consider the best rehabilitation plan for offenders.
Emotional stability. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists cope with hostile individuals or otherwise upsetting circumstances on the job.
Organizational skills. Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists manage multiple cases at the same time.
Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is $60,250. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $37,380, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $99,090.
The median annual wages for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Local government, excluding education and hospitals | $61,780 |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | $53,330 |
| Social assistance | $37,060 |
Although many officers and specialists work full time, the demands of the job sometimes lead to working overtime and variable hours. For example, many agencies rotate an on-call officer position. When these workers are on-call, they must respond to any issues with probationers or law enforcement 24 hours a day.
Extensive travel and paperwork can also contribute to more hours of work.
Union Membership for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Compared with workers in all occupations, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists have a higher percentage of workers who belong to a union.
Job Outlook for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of probation officers and correctional treatment specialists is projected to show little or no change over the next ten years.
Despite limited employment growth, about 8,000 openings for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment of Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
Employment growth depends primarily on the amount of state and local government funding for corrections, especially the amount allocated to probation and parole systems.
Because community corrections is viewed as an economically viable alternative to incarceration in some cases, demand for probation officers and correctional treatment specialists should continue. Parole officers will continue to be needed to supervise individuals who will be released from prison in the future.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | 94,500 | 94,600 | 0 | 100 |
More Probation Officer and Correctional Treatment Specialist Information[About this section] [To Top]
For more information about probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, visit
American Probation and Parole Association
For more information about criminal justice job opportunities in your area, contact the departments of corrections, criminal justice, or probation for individual states.
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.